Hey all.

So there's a bunch of us in this group, all split up into our different banding days. I was thinking that it might be a good idea to have one master thread as we move through the month, in which all of us could post as we go, from the pioneers going on March 1st to the finalists on March 31st.

I'd love to talk about our anticipation and any worries as we approach our banding date, for people to talk about exactly what happened from the moment they walked into the hospital door until the second they walked out, about how recovery is going, about weight loss and plateaus, about non-scale victories and challenges.

I was thinking that if we all contribute to one thread, it'll form a more substantial channel for information and support. At the moment, I was thinking that we might be too spread out into individual date, and that a central thread would be a really good backbone for the group, in addition to the date-specific threads.

What do you think?

Fenton

Good thing I dont have no pies, cookies or cake in this house because I've been craving it for the past 2 days.

Okay, every year at Christmas when I am with my sister in Arizona (which I can't do this year) she and I come up with a motivating slogan for the new year. Lose Weight in 08! was this year and that sure came true. My mini slogan is 90 by '09 meaning I'm trying to get to 90 lbs off by January '09 but I'm trying to think of a slogan that rhymes with 9 or Nine. Ideas!

Okay, every year at Christmas when I am with my sister in Arizona (which I can't do this year) she and I come up with a motivating slogan for the new year. Lose Weight in 08! was this year and that sure came true. My mini slogan is 90 by '09 meaning I'm trying to get to 90 lbs off by January '09 but I'm trying to think of a slogan that rhymes with 9 or Nine. Ideas!

"I'll be FINE in 0-NINE"

SugarBean---Congratulations!!! That is amazing!

and Scrappy ---all I can say is HOLY MOLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now that's what I call P-R-O-G-R-E-S-S!!!!

We are really cooking with gas here! Only 9 months ago we were on here dreaming of these kinds of results. Many of us may be losing more slowly now than we were before but just look how far we have come! Amazing!

I put on a suit today that my mother bought for me 27 years ago for Christmas. It still has the maker's tags on it!! It's so old it was made in the USA!!!! I liked it but it was too small so I just tucked it away hoping I'd lose a few lbs---then I proceeded to gain a lot more weight!!! Now it's about 1 size too small. Fortunately it's back in style!!

Edited December 12, 200817 yr by Desdemona

Kathy--I am all for a celebration dinner at -100lbs! And don't forget about our little-black-dress-with-red-heels deal, too!

Penny- I think that is great! I sure wish I would have saved more clothes from when I was smaller!

How about

"our time to shine is 2009!"

Baaaaaaaaad day yesterday.....UGH

One of our vendors brought in a box of candy.....turtles and english toffee....of course, my plan was just to have one....but that quickly went south and one turned in to five or six.....geez, it made me sick.

Lesson learned.....no such thing as one for me.....

Glad to hear everyone is noodling along in the right direction- touch wood, we'll all shine in 2009!

It's been incredibly frustrating here - dealing with these cheese-eating surrender monkeys isn't a walk in the park! Everything takes a zillion years to get done, with delays and paperwork that would be unthinkable in the US. Things are settling down, now, so I can go home and collapse into my amazing bed. And when I walk outside, it's just so beautiful here.

I think the hard part of my work is done, so hopefully it'll be a little less stressful now. I know I'm doing well - long distances walked, 2 1/2 meals a day, belt/pants really not holding me all together. I'm just hoping that the rest of this visit, when my gourmet friend comes into town, isn't going to do much damage.

I do get hungry, but I either Celebrate it as a sign that I'm burning up fat, or ignore it.

Desdemona - yay on that outfit! And Ha! re: old enough to be "Made in the USA"!

Baaaaaaaaad day yesterday.....UGH

One of our vendors brought in a box of candy.....turtles and english toffee....of course, my plan was just to have one....but that quickly went south and one turned in to five or six.....geez, it made me sick.

Lesson learned.....no such thing as one for me.....

Chocolate is my enemy- no matter what kind. I am trying to buy some SF samples to have on hand. It may not be the real thing, but if it tastes somewhat similar I hope it will help curb my cravings. Too much stress in my life now and chocolate has always been my salvation or crutch. I have to change my attitude and refuse to give in or hopefully satisfy myself with the SF types..

Howdy!

It's funny but, I eat out quite a bit. Most of the people I eat out with have no clue I had surgery. I just eat a little and if they notice and comment I tell them I eat very small meals about 6 times a day. (Which is true) and they usually don't go any further than that. On occasion I have pushed food around the plate to make it look like I have eaten some and like I am still actually eating. Since it is well known that I am a super picky eater, I don't usally get many questions.

Harley - too funny about your oatmeal story. I routinely eat a 1/2 serving of oatmeal. I just can't eat more than that!

Work has had it challanges lately. Christmas is the time when our office gets bombed with tons of bad food! One of the named partners ordered food for the whole office. I had some roast beef and lettuce. But, with the sandwiches and such, came chocolate and vanilla cupcakes. I kept telling myself that they were stale and nasty. When I went into the kitchen later on to fill my Water bottle, there was a box of candy. Today, there were several more boxes of candy and Chrismas cookies! I kept telling myself it was all yucky chocolate that I didn't like.

Ok, now I have a question. I have relatively few slimes and no PBs, but I had an experience yesterday which was horrible. I ate a few bites of a turkey hot dog yesterday. I knew I wasn't chewing well enough and stopped eating after a few bites. Soon, my nose started to run and I could feel the pain coming on. Soon after that I couldn't swallow my own saliva. I spent 50 minutes kneeing at the toliet spitting out the saliva and blowing my nose. I was in some serious pain. I was ready to go to the emergency room. I actually foamed twice. Is this the pre-cursor to a PB? This was such a horrible episode and I have no desire to have that happen again. I can honestly say that if that is only what happens BEFORE you PB, I sure don't ever want to have a PB. When I could finally swallow again and the pain started to die down a little, I laid down for about an hour before I felt like I could do some of the routine things I needed to get done. I was afraid to eat much in the way of solid foods today. I have managed to get my Protein in today, but now I am wondering if this really was a PB episode or not.

I could really use some input from people who have experience this stuff and can clue me in.

Sounds like a PB to me.....without the productive part.

Almost identical to what my experiences have been......I have usually urped up whatever was stuck, but the rest of it is too familiar. Yes, once it happens you don't want it to happen again!!

Yes sound like an unproductive PB. Not nice, but it totally sounds like what I've had happen in the past. After a PB (or stuck with pain episode) I do liquids for a day or two depending on how bad it was.

Christine

I am so ready to throw my scale in the street. Actually that would be too nice a death for that dang piece of trash that will not budge from the dang number 220!!!!!:biggrin:

AAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!!

Christine---hanging my head in shame at my outburst---

I think that's a PB on hightest!!! I PB but never like that...so glad it resolved...it is the worst feeling....I haven't been able to eat as much and am not hungry between meals which is great...hoping to start losing again. Have had a GI bug last few days which doesn't help ....We make candy for christmas gifts and have had some but the butter really does upset my stomach... (I can't believe I just said that) anyway....slowly trecking along.....day by day and I agree about the obsessing about food that has gone...finally

sharon:)

Whatever you want to call it, it sounds damn unpleasant! I'm glad you have survived...

Things continue to go OK here. I wish I had a scales - I seem to be doing well - I'm now on a tighter belt loop than I was when I started my backslide, although I can't believe I've lost that much weight since I've been here.

Good thing I dont have no pies, Cookies or cake in this house because I've been craving it for the past 2 days.

Scrappy you definitely win the prize for the most weight lost and looking absolutely fabulous....you ARE half the woman you were and proud of it...congratulations to you...

sharon